Phoney figures on phones, drink and driving?

Stuart Corner
Sunday, 09 July 2006 14:22

Opinion and Analysis

Every time a new study is published suggesting there just might be a link between cellphone usage and adverse effects on the human body, you can bet that AMTA, the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association will be quick to refute it: even though AMTA has no expertise whatsoever in the fields of oncology, physiology, neurology or whatever other ology might be involved in the study.

Now, AMTA is fighting the good fight for the freedom to phone on a new front: while driving. A study by the University of Utah has been widey reported as demonstrating that driving while on the phone increases the risk of accident to the same level as a blood alcohol level of 0.08, the legal limit in most US states.

Not so says AMTA CEO Chris Althaus, in the latest issue of the organisation's newsletter.

"A recent Australian study which compared the blood alcohol levels of drivers involved in real car crashes (as opposed to driving simulators used in the University of Utah study) found the risk of an accident increased 25 times at a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08. Mobile phones have not been shown to present this level of risk in any research."

Well of course not. If you have an accident that gets reported the first thing the police do is take your blood alcohol level: you become a statistic. What person in their right mind would fess up to phoning after a prang?

Althaus also said that "such claims could undermine driver safety campaigns by reducing the stigma of driving while under the influence of alcohol."

The researchers anticipated this. Psychology professor David Strayer, the study's lead author, said he expected criticism "suggesting that we are trivialising drunken-driving impairment, but it is anything but the case. We don't think people should drive while drunk, nor should they talk on their cell phone while driving."

And despite AMTA's defensive position, its own guidelines for using mobile phones suggest that it agrees with the broad thrust of the research.

"Don't engage in complex or emotional conversations: If a call becomes complex or emotional tell the person you are speaking to, you are driving and suspend the call. Complex and emotive conversations on a mobile phone, or with other passengers, and driving don't mix – they are distracting and can be dangerous."

Phoning and driving are just like drinking and driving: alright in moderation, but what's the safe level and how do you know when you've exceeded it?